Three months after a tornado tore through Menasha, the city is sketching out how its hardest-hit neighborhoods get rebuilt, and some of the ideas would change how permits work there (via FOX 11). City staff walked residents through the early thinking at an open house Oct. 29 and hope to have a final plan adopted in January.
The plan is called Menasha Strong. It's being prepared by the city's Redevelopment Authority with help from planning consultant Vandewalle & Associates, according to the project's website, which is hosted by the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. It covers five areas: the 3rd Street corridor, Doty Island, and the areas around Jefferson Park, Hart Park and Calder Stadium.
The idea that stands out for builders is a set of pre-approved house plans. Community Development Director Andrew Dane told FOX 11 the city could create several model building plans so residents wouldn't have to hire an architect, and the city would issue a permit automatically for a house built to one of them. Those plans are still hypothetical until the city adopts its recovery plan.
The city also may change zoning and permitting rules to save residents time and money. FOX 11 reported that one option is updating the zoning code to allow townhomes or smaller condo and apartment buildings along busier streets, while single-family blocks would likely stay single-family to protect the neighborhoods' character. A tax incremental financing (TIF) district is also on the table to help spur new development.
"If they want to stay here, want to rebuild here, we want to create programs and partnerships," Dane said.
There's a catch. Most of the damaged property is privately owned, so the city can't simply decide what gets built where. Mayor Austin Hammond has said housing is the top priority, and the city plans to steer owners toward FEMA and nonprofit funding to repair or rebuild.
Some lots also face extra hurdles. About 400 Menasha properties sit in the regulatory floodplain, a Menasha police community liaison officer told Spectrum News 1 in September, and those homes have additional state and federal requirements to meet before they can be repaired or rebuilt.
Repairs are already moving on another track. Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity set a goal this summer of fixing roofs, windows, doors and exterior damage on 100 tornado-hit homes across the area by Dec. 15, backed by $3 million from Fox Valley businesses, FOX 11 reported in August.
The next public open house on the plan is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, and the project site lists Common Council adoption for Jan. 18, 2027.
Why it matters for Contractors
Pre-approved plans with automatic permits could be the biggest time saver on the table. If Menasha adopts them, builders who can work to those plans could skip much of the design and review back-and-forth on rebuild lots, which matters a lot to a homeowner trying to get back in fast and to a small shop trying to keep a schedule.
It's still a draft, so don't bid against it yet. But if you work in the Fox Cities, it's worth showing up Dec. 15 or reaching out to the city's community development office to see what the model plans will look like and how they'll handle floodplain lots. Builders who know the rules early will be the ones homeowners call first.
The zoning piece is worth watching too. Townhomes and small multifamily buildings on busier corridors would open up a different kind of infill work than one-for-one house replacements.